Representative Democracy Analysis

In order to determine the legitimacy of the rule of a representative government, we must first define rule in a democratic context. Efficient and effective rule in a democratic society is marked by the conclusion of any issues raised by an active citizenry by means of voting and debate. Representative democracy derives its legitimacy from the electoral process which weeds out any unfit candidates who lack the fundamental depth of knowledge it takes to rule effectively. As the elected officials are drawn from the larger civic body, the precondition of a democracy being of the people is maintained, thus debunking the question of their “elitism” raised in the prompt. If and only if this form of democracy is filled with an engaged citizenry …show more content…
Issues that arose from the people were discussed and debated and finally solved by officials that were drawn from lots. This method of democracy is largely impossible in countries with a large population, and as Rousseau duly clarified that, “it is against the natural order of the many to govern and the few to be governed”. Representative democracy solves this issue by limiting the ruling body whilst governing the many effectively. The more engaged the civil body, the more efficient the rule— “participation fosters and develops the very qualities necessary for it; the more individuals participate the better they are able to do so”.1 A participatory system of governance calls growth of political knowledge from the ground up, and an equality of that understanding across social and economic classes in order to create the most effective electorate. As long as the citizens have an equal chance of having their voice heard by the smaller body of power wielding representatives, the representative democracy, in essence, is doing its job. Pateman again calls for the “equal participation in the making of decisions,” and I must ask once again: is it wise to have the lay citizen participate in matters which affect society as a whole? In cases where the entire citizenry is not fully engaged, the most effective solution is a representative democracy in which the voices of the masses can be magnified by elected officials. The process of election also closes the gap between “‘managers’ and ‘men’,”1 debunking the elitist view of representative democracy as the figurative managers are drawn out of the body of pre-existing men. Paricipatory ideologies can be applied to the practice of representative democracy given that the citizenry is fully willing to engage itself in the political